This invention relates to an article packing machine and more particularly, to a machine which loads articles such as one and two liter soft drink bottles into respective sockets of cases. Heretofore articles such as soft drink bottles and the like have been loaded into cases by machines of many different designs and configurations. One particular type of machine is referred to as a drop packer wherein the bottles are dropped through grid sets into respective cases passing therebelow. One of the problems with the drop packer is the articles are dropped into the cases and it requires synchronization of the movement of the cases relative to the articles being dropped therein. In order to shorten the drop distance, the cases are normally placed on elevators for being raised to a position directly below the grid set which holds a charge of articles. One such device is shown in U.S. Pat. 3,788,034 granted to Hartness et al. on Jan. 29, 1974.
Another apparatus and method for packing articles in containers is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,927 granted to Anglade on Jan. 12, 1971. In this particular device, the bottles slide freely in a continuous file down an incline track which consists of a pair of spaced rails that engage a neck portion of the bottles. As the bottles reach a loading station, cases being fed by a conveyor pass under the lower end of the spaced rails so that the bottles can be dropped into compartments provided in the case.
Still another conveyor system for depositing articles into a receptacle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,644 granted on Jan. 22, 1985 to Rizzo. The articles have flanges provided thereon which are supported between spaced rails so that they can slide down the space rails and be placed in a receiver.
Still other case loading machines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,531,345, 2,978,854 and 4,332,123. In each of the last mentioned patents, the articles are engaged by the neck and fed to the loading station for being deposited in cartons. U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,952 discloses still another tray packing method and apparatus wherein articles are deposited in groups into cases.
One of the problems encountered in loading articles that are hanging by their necks is that sometimes binding occurs between the articles and the space rails causing a malfunction when attempting to drop the articles into cases.